Frostbite Alchemist
by MixedBreedMaiya
Summary: Twelve years have passed since the Elric brothers disappeared into another world. Now they return to find a new addition to their circle of "friends"! However she's also the bargaining chip for a certain someone, to get her father's cooperation...
1. Frostbite

Ahahaha! My first ever FMA fanfiction! I'm so excited. ROY!!

Roy: ...What do you want now?

What are you talking about, flame-boy? I've never used you before.

Roy: Your obsession with me in everything else is quite enough.

Ha, ha. Jerk. Do the disclaimer. Now. NOW!

Roy: Gah. MixedBreedMaiya doesn't own Fullmetal Alchemist - the series or the movie, or anything else that has to do with it. Her concepts, presumptions, and original characters are her own. Don't flame her... That's my job.

Gee, thanks a lot. Okay, readers, first of all know that I am taking creative liberty and saying Ed and Al found a way back to their original world. Yes, I know you might say that's impossible. And _yes_, I'm aware that you might not like it. But it makes it easier and more interesting for me. -Shrug- So please give it a chance - or, if you're totally opposed to it, just don't yell at me or tell me how stupid it is. Okay? Thank you much!

Roy: Don't worry. Pass your complaints to me. She'll get them, I promise.

Roy! -.-

**Special Thanks:**

**God, who made me to be a passionate writer.**

**The people who made FMA. I can't remember who you are at the moment. -.- But I love you anyway!**

**Roy. Ahahaha. You're awesome.**

**Readers of all my other works, who offer so much encouragement.**

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"...That's a Mustang for you."

"You might warn a guy before you sic your bratty minion on him!"

"He didn't 'sic' me anywhere, shorty."

"_Who are you calling so short he could look up to an ant; can't even pick a blade of grass_?!"

Roy Mustang watched in unparalleled amusement as the man before him flipped his blond-haired lid. Fifteen years it had been since he had first met this Edward Elric, and still it was uncanny how very little he had changed. Ed was nearing thirty years of age now, with his brother, Alphonse, just one year behind; but he was still uncommmonly short for his age. Al was easily at least four inches taller than he was, even in his normal human body. And it was this that irritated Edward to no end; and this which gave Roy unlimited pleasure in exploiting.

However, it hadn't been he that had issued the insult - not this time. Beside him stood a tall, slender ten-year-old girl. Black hair fell in a long braid down her back, while shorter pieces framed her face and occasionally fell into icey blue eyes. Her hands rested on her hips, a smug expression lining her features. "So you're the famed Fullmetal Alchemist, huh? Daddy told me you were short, but this is ridiculous. I'll be your height in no time!"

Ed, still smoldering, glowered at her as his sheepishly smiling younger brother held him back by the arm. "Just who _are _you, kid?"

"I'm surprised at you, Edward Elric." Roy folded his arms across his chest. "The family resemblance is undeniable."

"...She's yours?" Al's eyes widened, and he looked to the smirking child. He bent forward, examining her face. "Wow. She does look a lot like you. Who's her mom, who's her mom?" he demanded excitedly. "Is it Lieutenant Hawkeye?"

It wasn't really a surprise to anyone when his suspicion was affirmed, though no one brought that up. "So you got a name, or what, brat?" snorted Ed.

She scowled indignantly. "My name is Kota--" The young girl brought her hand up to smack her own forehead as her father interrupted. Oh, not again...

"Her name is Kohaku Takara Yuki Asuka Mustang!" he exclaimed, proudly, ignoring his daughter's grumble of, "My _name _is Kota!" For the sake of time and effort, they had come up with that mix of her first two names. It satisfied everyone, except when her father was introducing her. He took way too much enjoyment out of saying her full name, whereas it just got on her nerves. Many a time she'd asked her mother why on earth she hadn't stopped him from naming their only child something so idiotic - and she never really had gotten a satisfactory answer. Riza simply stated it was sometimes better not to argue with the man. Kota supposed it was true, but that didn't make the fact that by the time she finished saying her name, an opponent would have her head on a platter. Oh, yes, she was an alchemist.

Clearing her throat and tugging her father backward by his sleeve, she sought to do her own introduction. One that didn't sound stupid. "I am Kohaku Mustang; Frostbite Alchemist!" Kota drew herself up with the family pride. Roy and Al were right - she did look amazingly similar to him.

Ed was grinning, much to the girl's annoyance. He even went so far as to give a little chuckle. "That so? How old are you, frosty?"

"I am ten years old since last month," she declared hotly.

"I see. And you've already got your name picked out, do you?"

"That's right. You want another taste of my frozen fury?" asked Kota, darkly. She extended her hand toward him.

Alphonse drew his brother back to his side, waving his other hand in the air. "No, no. That's alright. You've proven yourself a worthy alchemist, Kota. You'll definitely get really strong." He relaxed a little when she seemed pleased by his words. "You've got a really cute daughter, Colonel." She blushed, though it went unoticed.

"Actually..." Roy half-turned so they could see his profile, flicking a lock of raven hair from his face. "It's just Roy now. I've left official ranks of the military behind me. Riza insists upon staying in, and she's moved up quite a bit. You've been gone a long time, you two. Before I resigned completely, I was Fuhrer for several years. But now I'm just boring old me." He shoved his hands deep into his pocket, looking off into the distance with a mock-melancholy sort of nostalgia.

"Well, well! So you actually did mange to crawl all the way up there, Mustang. I'm impressed." Ed shrugged. "I didn't think you'd make it past general, honestly. But you never were very predictable."

Kota turned and ambled over to the fountain nearby. She pulled herself up to sit sideways on the rim, dipping her hand down into the water. The name "Frostbite Alchemist" wasn't just a name she's picked out of the blue. She delighted in making ice and snow, and manipulating moisture like that. Therefore, while the boring adults carried on their boring conversation, she formed ice cubes in the fountain of all different sizes and shapes. Some she even sculpted after Ed and Al.

"Speaking of being unpredictable, Fullmetal. How are you even _here_?"

"...That's a long story. Al and I were presented with a way back here, and I'd prefer not to go into any more detail than that. It wasn't an easy decision to make, all things considered. But hey, here we are!"

Alphonse presently came to join her while his brother spoke further with her father. "What's that you're doing, Kota?" he asked, giving her a warm smile. She blinked up at him in mid-formation, causing her creation to float away only half-finished.

"Just playing with the water... I like to make shapes."

"That's neat. Can I see?"

"Sure." Kota turned back to the fountain. She worked hard to create the perfect sculpture, and when it was finished she was quite proud of it. It was a cat, in the middle of pouncing on some prey unseen. When Al praised her and marveled over how detailed it was, she couldn't help but continue to show off. Eventually they got into a game of making icey artwork in the water, soon making the surface littered with the frozen shapes. She grinned, having fun with this stranger.

They had been in this park, in Central, she and her father, and he had been training her. Well, that's what he liked to call it, anyway. Really, Kota knew it was him playing with her - and she loved it. Roy Mustang wasn't exactly the most outwardly affectionate man, but she adored when he took the time to bring her out here to "train." She also knew her mother liked it, when she was home. It got both of them out of the house and out of her hair. They were entirely too similar in manner, as well.

In any case, her father had caught sight of two very familiar people. He stopped just after making his spark and starting his flare - meaning that Kota had to douse the wayward flame before it got out of hand. She had done so unhappily, disliking the fact that his attention had so easily drifted from her. Oh, she was a jealous girl. But all jealousy was evaporated when the Flame Alchemist stated that those two strangers were, indeed, the Elric Brothers he had spoken so much of. At once, she had wanted to challenge the Fullmetal Alchemist.

Alright, so her father had given her an idea. The impulse had been hers, as well as the action. Kota had assaulted Ed with a flurry of ice spikes. He and his brother had immediately taken cover, the former erecting a shield of rock from the ground to cover them both. And that was how it started, with Roy stifling his laughter at Ed's indignance and Al's pure shock. While she wouldn't admit it, she was extremely excited to meet the brothers. She'd pester the story of their return out of somebody later - no, she wasn't paying any attention to Ed's conversation with her father. For now, she was engrossed in ice-sculpting with the younger Elric.

"...There's no more room..." She blinked at the water, now filled with their creations.

"I guess we went a little overboard, huh?" laughed Al, running a hand through his brown hair.

"I guess so..."

"Kota, let's go." Roy and Ed were facing them now. "We're going to bring the boys back with us. I'm sure everyone will want to say hello." Her father beckoned her with a jerk of his head.

She hopped up. "C'mon, Al!" Kota insisted, pulling at his arm. Al, she liked. Ed... She predicted a long, passionate rivalry between them. How _fun_!

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There. Chaptah one. Do you like it? Tell me what you think. Don't kill me over it though. It's my first try.

Roy: ...

What's your problem?

Roy: ...Do you really want to know? -Prepares to snap-

o.o Nope. Not really! -Hides- Read and Review!


	2. A Challenge

I got a review; a good review. Coolness! Merci beau coup - c'est tres, tres magnific! n.n

Roy: ...You do know this originated in Japan. Not France.

No KIDDING. But seeing as I don't _know _Japanese, short of saying like five words, I use French. Problem with that?

Roy: Yes.

Too-stinkin'-bad. Anyhow, here's a new chapter for you. Yep... Two in two days. It's good to be a writer...who really should be asleep right now... Don't mind any stupid typos in either chapter, since they were both done really late. Enjoy.

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With a gasp of surprise, Riza Hawkeye - or, more accurately, Mustang - dropped the glass of water she had been holding. Kota tapped her shoulder, where a transmutation circle was stitched into the fabric of her grey shirt, and pointed her finger at the water now spilling onto the carpet. She shared a glance and a shrug with her father as it froze, and moved forth to clean up the ice and cracked glass.

"Edward... Alphonse... What are you doing here?" asked the blond woman, blinking wide-eyed at the grinning brothers Elric. Her hair was pinned up as always in a tight bun, the front still cropped short. She was a little more weathered than the last time they'd seen her, but like Roy, she was almost the same to them. It was a funny feeling.

"Hey, Lieute--"

"Riza. I'm not a lieutenant anymore - and besides, I think we're beyond military distinctions, Edward." Her shock melted into the tiniest of smiles.

Ed scratched the back of his head. "You think you could call me Ed, then? Edward just sounds way too stuffy for me. How've ya' been? I see you finally took custody of this jerk." He flicked Roy like a little kid, giving his old cocky smirk. "Big job."

The Flame Alchemist gave his wife an incredulous look as she agreed. "They're both handfuls, he and Kota. But we get by." Riza glanced at her little family. Father and daughter stood right next to each other with the same expression and posture, completely by accident. They looked at each other, and Roy mussed up Kohaku's hair. The girl returned the gesture by shoving him. "...Somehow..."

Kota left the room to dispose of her mother's mess. When invited to, Ed and Al followed the couple into the sitting room. "How long was it after we left that you two got married?" asked Al, as he sat next to his brother on the sofa. Roy took a relaxed seat across from them, as Riza sat more prim and proper with one leg crossed over the other. When their daughter returned, she sat in between her parents. Roy used her head as an arm-rest, while she tried to shake him off.

"I d'know," he replied, shrugging. "About..."

"Three months," supplied Riza. "It was about three months after you boys disappeared when we got married. I think Roy was disappointed that you couldn't come, Ed. Who knows, you may have been called upon for best man, mm?"

Roy snorted. "Don't count on it. Though I must say... You would have been better than Armstrong." He rolled his eyes back into his head dramatically, and indicated a picture propped up on the side table beside the sofa. In it, he and Riza were in their wedding attire, standing side-by-side with half-forced, uncertain smiles on their faces. The reason for this was the giant of a man standing behind them, one arm around each of their shoulders. On _his _face there was a shining, care-free grin.

Ed blinked at it in silence for a moment. "That must have been quite a day... Sheez. He didn't turn the cake into an edible statue of himself, right?" The older man gave him a flat look. "He _did_?"

"Close. He morphed it into a frosted sculpture of Riza and I in all our battle glory. I think we have a picture of that somewhere, too, to prove to everybody that it actually happened." He waved his hand vaguely. His other arm was still planted atop Kota's head, despite her continuous efforts to wrestle it off. Ed detected the smallest hint of a smile in his eyes, and while he wasn't looking at his daughter, Fullmetal suspected it was for her. So funny, seeing Roy as a dad - and not a bad one, it appeared. He hadn't been wonderful with him or Al when they were teens... But then, they hadn't been _girls_, and they hadn't been his kids. He supposed it made a difference. And, to be fair, it wasn't like he'd treated them horribly, either, when it came right down to it. Most of his toughness hadn't been out of malice, but concern and a twisted sense of fondness. If he had to admit it (which he might never do), he'd say they were pretty good friends. Ed shook his head, banishing the cheesy thought quickly.

"That's not too surprising," he chuckled. "So. Kid." He leaned forward, eyeing Kota. The child stopped pushing her father's arm away in vain to peer at him through a veil of hair. Her eyes narrowed, she stated once more to call her _Kota_ - or at least Frostbite, if he was so opposed to addressing her by name. "Right, right. Frosty. When did you start learning alchemy?"

At last, after renewing her wriggling and squirming, she managed to remove Roy's arm - though only because he allowed her to. "I've been doin' alchemy since I could walk. Daddy's taught me a lot. He told me all about how he burnt you to a crisp in your duel a long, long time ago."

At Ed's cocked eyebrow in his direction, Roy smirked and gave an innocent shrug. "What the heck did you tell her that for? Don't you know you shouldn't lie to your kids, Mustang?"

"Actually, Ed," piped up Al, who had thus far been occupied with the family dog that had ambled into the room and plopped himself on the younger brother's foot, "that's not entirely a lie. The co--I mean, Roy, did actually scorch you several times throughout the fight." He smiled in amusement. "You just kept popping back up. Especially when he made fun of how short you are--"

"_I am not short_!"

"And how short your temper is," he sighed. "Some things just never change, I guess."

Presently, Kota hopped to her feet and strode over to face Ed directly. "I wanna fight you," she stated, a bit unexpectedly.

Ed blinked at her, coming out of his sudden rage just as abruptly as it had come on. "Huh?"

"Kohaku?" inquired her mother, also somewhat caught off-guard.

"I want to face the Fullmetal Alchemist." She stood straight and confident, her chin raised a little defiantly. "Just like Daddy. I want a match. I _challenge _you, Fullmetal!" She poked him in the nose with her index finger to accentuate her exclamation.

There was silence through the room. Ed didn't know whether to laugh, or take her up on the forceful offer. A look at Al told him his brother felt similarly; Roy and Riza shared a glance as well. "Well?" prodded Kota after several moments of this. "Do you accept, or run away?"

Finally, Ed leaned back with his hands behind his head lazily. "I don't think you know what you're getting into, little snowflake. I wouldn't want your daddy comin' after me because I put a mark on his pretty little girl, now would I? Ask me again in about ten more years."

"By then you'll be _old_ and no more fun to ground into the dirt." There was a pout on her face testifying to her young age, but the determination it communicated couldn't be denied. "I won't hurt you bad, I promise." Not to mention her inherited annoyingly haughty attitude.

"You're still a fledgling alchemist, Kota. Stick to your little spars with Daddy, okay?" Ed didn't want to hurt a little girl; it wasn't right.

"Are you afraid she'll beat you, Fullmetal?" asked Roy, his voice just dripping with a smug taunt. "I wouldn't blame you, given who her parents are." He examined his fingernails egotistically.

Ed sat up again. "Your mouth is about as big as your head, Mustang. Fine. I'll teach your little brat a thing or two about _true _alchemists. Just name the place and time!"

"…And he says Roy has a big head," sighed both Al and Riza at the same time. The latter added an exasperated, "This is ridiculous."

"Two days from now, in the park where we met today. By the fountain. And you'd better come ready to get whooped, Fullmetal!" Behind her battle cry there was unmistakable glee at her proposal being accepted. How long had she been waiting for this fight?, he wondered.

Shaking his head, he watched her fly from the room. "If _you _taught her, this'll be a piece of cake. I'll send her back home in tears. The little animal."

"Just be careful with her, Ed." Riza was scowling at the whole situation.

"Don't worry, Riza. I won't hurt her; I'm not in the habit of beating little girls to a pulp. I save that for Roy. Any time you want a rematch, Flame, gimme a call."

"Maybe I'll take you up on that after my daughter humbles you."

"Hah. Yeah, right." Ed slumped back again, grinning.

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So they're all three too cocky for their onw good. Hrm... KoKo's challenged the midget. What'll happen?!

Roy: She'll wipe the floor with him, no contest.

Ahh, good old family pride. ...Are you planning on helping her?

Roy: ... ... Not at all.

Wow. Convincing. Anyways, read and review, and wait for my next chappie to find out WHAT. COMES. NEXT! ...n.n


	3. Hiding?

Huzzah for new chapters! I really needed to update this…

Roy: You never give up, do you?

…Well, not often at least. And how can I give up on something as totally awesome as a story about _you_?

Roy: -Ponders- You have a point…

Egomaniac. Anyways – onward!

**Chapter 3**

She furrowed her brow as she concentrated on the ice crystal suspended in the air between her hands. Wandering in a circle about her was her father, rambling on and taunting her every so often. This was on purpose, to help her ignore background noise. Roy knew the Fullmetal Alchemist liked to chat during a duel, and if it got to Kota's head, she would be too distracted to ice him properly.

"What are you, Kohaku, an infant? I don't want an icecube, I want a frozen _storm_. You're being weak!"

Kota dug her feet into the earth, biting her tongue between her front teeth. The crystal grew as she spread her hands apart. She used the moisture from the air, slowing the molecules to cool them into freezing. Such a wonderful science, alchemy. She formed her giant creation into separate spikes and shot them at her father.

Roy jumped to the side, still rather agile for a man getting on in years. The few spikes that would have hit him anyway were melted and evaporated as he made a fiery barrier to shield himself. Steam rose in a puff and dissipated back into the air. As he opened his mouth to speak, however, a second flurry of frozen spears forced him to clumsily leap backwards, thus falling onto his backside in brief shock.

Kota fell over, too, in laughter. How sweet it was, every so often, when she could show up her father. He had been so ready to taunt her again, and hadn't even thought that she could so quickly follow up her first attack.

He pushed to his feet, brushing himself off. "Very good, Kota," he told her in approval as she got up. "Edward Elric's weakness is his tendency to get cocky. Use it. Make him think you're down and out, and come back with a blizzard he'll not soon forget. Your ice is going to be more difficult for him to stop than it is for me, as he does not use the element of fire like I do. That will be to your advantage as well. You're used to facing off against your opposite, and that will give you an edge. But don't underestimate him. The Fullmetal Alchemist is _not _to be taken lightly. He'll pull tricks out of his hat that you've never even dreamed of. Don't. Get. Comfortable," he warned, solemnly. "And don't. Get. Cocky."

In other words, if she whooped him with a move, she wasn't to fall to her butt, laughing. That would be the end of her. "Got it," she replied, nodding just as gravely.

"Now." Roy started to speak once more, but he paused just for a split second. The look that flashed over his face made her nervous. She didn't have time to question him, however, because he barked an order – and Kota was trained well to follow orders first, and ask questions later. "Kohaku, attack at once!"

Maybe he was just trying to keep her sharp and on her toes, she reasoned, doing as he said. She sent hail the size of golf balls at him on reflex, though she had an odd, nervous feeling in her gut. She didn't know why, but something felt wrong. Even as he countered her strike defensively, she felt there was more to it than a simple training exercise. Was it just her imagination, or did she feel the fire not only in front of her, but surrounding her closely on all sides?

Her heart racing and adrenaline flooding through her body, Kota faced her father with widened eyes. "What the heck was that about?" she demanded faintly.

It seemed to her that the man was looking over her head, as though looking for something. Almost immediately, though, his expression relaxed back into passiveness. He rolled his shoulders in a shrug, shoving his hands back into his pockets. "Just making sure you weren't getting too comfortable. Your reflexes are inspiring, Kota. Very well done."

She wasn't sure she trusted this explanation. Every once in a while he would do something like that – just tell her to do something right out of the blue and expect her to do it without flinching. But his words were never as urgent or rushed as they had been a moment before. It was weird, as well as unnerving. What had he seen that she hadn't? Or was she just being paranoid and silly? Even so, she cast a glance behind her on the off chance that she might catch a glimpse of whatever had seemed to catch Roy's attention.

Seeing nothing, she slowly looked back up at him. "Th-thanks…"

"That's enough for this morning; it's almost lunchtime. Let's go home for now," suggested her father. He slung an arm around her shoulders and started walking back homeward with her.

She was very tempted to press him for further explanation, but she wasn't sure. She probably wouldn't get a straight answer even if she did make the inquiry. Obviously, he didn't want her to think it was anything out of the usual. So _was _she just being paranoid? Kota pursed her lips but ducked out of his grip to slip her hand into his instead.

After a moment, she tentatively posed her question. "Daddy…"

"Mm?" he grunted.

"What were you looking at before, after you told me to attack you?"

"Eh?" Roy looked down at her, his face perfectly unreadable. "I was just making sure I hadn't caused any fire damage to the park. My counter was a little bigger than I had intended."

"You scared the heck out of me with that command, y'know. It came completely out of nowhere." She was trying to work the truth out of him.

"You have to stay on your feet, Kota. And you did a good job of it. But you can't let sudden things frighten you. There will be a lot of things happening in your duel with Edward Elric that you won't be expecting – you simply have to deal with it and strike back."

"So that was just for training purposes?"

"Just for training purposes. What did you think it was?"

Kota shrugged. "I was just wondering." She still wasn't convinced, though. Nevertheless, the two returned home, where her mother was preparing lunch. There the girl left again to take Kernel, their dog, for a short walk upon her father's request. She took her time, pondering even then over his odd behavior. There had to be more to it than he was making out. …She just had to figure out how to discover the real story.

**End Chapter 3**

Dundundun. What's Roy hiding!?

Roy: ...

Are you hiding _anything_?

Roy: ...

You're cute, Roy. Tune in next time, readers, to see if Roy is telling his kid the truth, or if he's not giving the whole story...


	4. Keep Watch

Okay, out with a new chapter. Thanks for the reviews, people. I 'preciate it. n.n

Roy: I don't like where this is going, girl.

Well, duh. If I made my muses happy, chances are I'd be doing something wrong. Because if you like it, it means I'm not doing anything to you. And…what fun is that? I mean, come on, dude.

Roy: Do remember who I am, and what I do to people I don't like.

Yeah, well, do remember that I'm the author, and thus have those special and sacred Author Powers that make me capable of blowing you to little bits.

Roy: Just try it. I dare you.

Some other time, maybe. I still need you for meaningless banter before and after my chapters.

--

This was something he needed to discuss with Riza. At the very least, he needed to make sure she was aware of it. If he didn't tell her now, she would only find out later and then demand to know why he hadn't let her know sooner. Safer to get it out of the way immediately.

"Kota, take your mutt for a walk. He's going to have a nervous breakdown." Roy looked at the dog, who was excitedly jumping all over his daughter, welcoming her home with sloppy kisses and anxious yapping. It would not only shut Kernel up, but get the girl out of the house for a time, as well. He had worked this hard to conceal his observations from her – he wasn't going to run the risk of being overheard now.

When Kota had managed to clip a leash to the hyperactive canine's collar and trotted out after him, Roy entered the kitchen to speak with his wife. "Riza."

"Did she wear you out already?" asked Riza, not glancing up from the sandwiches she was preparing. "You're getting old, Roy."

Roy replied gravely, not feeling it appropriate to continue this banter at the moment. "We may have a problem," he stated. "Kota was nearly hurt in the park today while her back was turned, and it was not an accident. It's undeniable – it was an assault, using alchemy. I watched as the branch above her was severed from the tree. There was no one in that tree, and the break was too clean to be natural. It was almost as if it was sawed off. …She has no idea what happened out there, and I intend to keep it that way. But I have a bad feeling about this."

During this story, the woman had paused in her work and met his gaze evenly. She was quiet for a moment after he had finished speaking. Then, "Did you see anyone anywhere who might have been responsible for it?"

"No. That's another thing that makes me nervous. I don't know who's behind it, and I don't know why. I have no idea why Kota would be a target, other than to somehow get to one or both of us, but I can't dismiss it as a coincidence. I had to exert much more power than I would have liked to disintegrate the limb."

"You're probably lucky you didn't singe her anyway," she said, a little reproachfully. When Roy Mustang went overboard even for him, it was bad.

"I'm not that irresponsible of a father, Riza. Give me a little credit."

"In any case, we'll have to keep a close eye on her until we know a little more." Riza paused, then gave a start. "She's out walking Kernel by herself…" She blinked somewhat wide-eyed at her husband, leaving the sandwiches forgotten on the counter to pass through the kitchen and out to the front door. Just as Roy followed her and they got there, however, their daughter opened the door and Kernel darted inside in a rush of fur. Both parents relaxed a little.

Kota raised an eyebrow, looking at her mother and father, who both stood unoccupied right next to the door. "…Something wrong…?" she asked slowly, shifting her gaze between the two.

Roy glanced at his wife briefly before shrugging at the child. "We were looking at a picture." He nodded to the closest framed photo there was, which happened to be of Kota as an infant.

Riza gestured her agreement, then guided Kota toward the kitchen. "Your lunch is ready."

Didn't have to tell a child twice about food. After unclipping Kernel's leash and tossing it carelessly onto the couch, she trotted away to retrieve the anticipated sandwich. Roy watched her go, shaking his head. "I'll take her back out after lunch for another training session."

"Just be careful. Don't neglect to keep watch. And, Roy… Don't get carried away with this 'training.' It's nice that this is something you share with out daughter, but... I don't want her hurt – not by this mysterious villain, and not by you, either."

"You worry too much. She'll be fine with me around," he replied casually, smirking a little with that old cocky confidence. "I'm just getting her into shape for this duel with Ed. She won't beat him – let's face it. She's twenty years younger and as much less experienced than he is. But I think she can hold her own against him for quite some time."

"Whatever you say. Just make sure you look out for her."

"You're not her only parent, y'know." Roy strolled for the kitchen to get his own lunch. "I won't let anything happen to her." He paused, a more serious expression overtaking his face again as he glanced back at her. "You might want to mention this to the military, just in case this guy is out for generic mayhem and not targeting Kohaku specifically." Granted, they didn't know anyone was seriously aimed at violence, or trying to really hurt anyone; not for certain, in any case. But he knew alchemy when he saw it, and his years of military service made him cautious and a touch paranoid. The fact that his daughter had nearly been flattened by a tree branch did not make him a happy camper.

Riza nodded, but said no more. It was understood that they wouldn't let the child in on this bit of information, suspicious as she might already be. She didn't need to be justified in her fright, or start to worry seriously about it. If it got out of hand, they might _have _to tell her. But it was still a premature accusation, and it might never happen again. They would rather have it that way, and if that were the case, she would never have to know.

So they pur on passive masks and joined Kota in the kitchen together, proceeding to eat good naturedly as a family, with Kernel sitting at the latter's feet and gazing upward with his tongue hanging out. Yeah, she spoiled him with table scraps every now and then, and Roy turned a blind, disinterested eye to it. Riza wasn't so lenient most of the time, however, and prevented the dog from getting his prize this time.

"Honestly, Kohaku. You're shortening his lifespan."

"He likes it," protested Kota.

"Yes, and he'll continue to like it – until he drops dead. Eat your own food, and let him eat food made for him."

Kota heaved a sighed apology to Kernel, who whined disappointedly when she finished off her sandwich without so much as a crumb spared for his benefit. When Roy had finished as well, he ushered her from the room again, following close behind, to continue their exercises. He gave Riza a vague, would-be reassuring wave of his hand as he disappeared, meant as a sort of silent, "Don't sweat it. We'll be fine." He did catch the sigh she replied with, but chose to pretend like he hadn't.

--

Did that chapter seem weird to anyone? Like, poorly written or something? Tell me whatcha' think, please.

Roy: -Opens mouth-

NOT you, matchbox. The readers.

Roy: It was disgusting.

Hey! I told you not to say anything!

Roy: Actually, you simply stated that the target of your request was not me, but the morons who read your stories. I supplied my opinion without being asked.

Gee. Thanks for the input.


	5. Missing

Ta-dum

Ta-dum! Chapter… five? Sure.

Roy: You can't even count to five? Oh, brother.

Hey. It's one AM, dude. I'm tired. I don't remember the chapter number. So SUE ME.

Roy: Don't give me any ideas, girl. This story of yours is ludicrous. What's worse is the fact that you have idiots following it like they have nothing better to do.

…Roy… You're going to scare all my fans away. They're gonna hate me, all because of you.

Roy: That's all I have to do? Insult them, and they'll leave?

Don't you dare. I like my readers!

--

"Relax, Kota. Focus. Visualize your goal, and cling to it."

Kota narrowed her eyes, shaking out her hands as her father bent next to her, whispering these things in her ear. They faced Ed and Al, the former stretching very casually. His arrogance only made her want to beat him further into the ground. The latter, however, was more interested in Kernel than his own brother. Presently he was scratching the appreciative mutt's stomach.

"Wipe that smirk right off his face." As she finished her own stretches, Roy straightened. "Make me proud." He patted her shoulder and stepped back out of the picture. This was her fight.

He watched carefully, resting two gloved fingers against his mouth. His eyes were the only part of him that moved; he stood stock still, observing his daughter and his former pain in the neck colleague spar. The man still didn't expect her to win, and he doubted Kota herself thought she would when it came down to it. But still. This was important to her, and it was a way she could finally put all those lessons and practices to the test.

Back and forth they traded offensive and defensive stances. Kota was quicker than Ed because of her size and age, and that did help her. But the Fullmetal Alchemist had been a prodigy at twelve when it came to alchemy, and after that he'd had several years to add to his resourceful and unorthodox techniques. She did do well in receiving these unexpected turns, however. The fact that she wasn't even flinching alone gave him the pride he'd mentioned.

"You've got talent, Kota," Ed told her, during a brief pause, wherein they both worked to catch their breath and draw up their next moves. "There's no doubt about who your parents are. But I'll bet I could teach you some things that old man of yours can't."

"Yeah, whatever. Cool off, metal man!" cried Kota, flinging her hand toward the fountain behind her. The water rose, following her hand as she pointed back toward Ed. It froze on the way, becoming a fist of ice dead set on introducing itself to her opponent's gut. Roy had to duck to keep out of its way.

Fullmetal jumped, managing to land on top of the speeding mass. He smirked, tensing to leap off and at her. However, Kota's own expression melted into a smirk as well. On her palms she'd pointed two transmutation circles. She brought her hands together. Over the sharp clap, though, there came a deafening crack as the ice Ed stood on split and shattered.

"Waaah!" Caught off-guard, he just barely managed to land on his feet back on the ground – and even then, he was nearly pushed over by the hard, sharp pieces of ice spewing everywhere.

Behind his hand, a smile tugged at the corners of Roy's mouth. He nodded slightly as Kota kept her cool and simply followed up with another attack while she could. She hadn't let it go to her head as he'd feared. Good girl.

And so it continued. The exchanged blows physical and alchemical alike went on for a good while longer. But the entire match was brought to a screeching halt when there came a massive outside interference. Roy tensed up to the point of his muscles aching with the tightness as something was dropped right in the center of the designated battlefield – right between Ed and Kota.

When the object hit the ground, it exploded into an impenetrable sea of foul-smelling smoke. "Kohaku!" he snapped, bordering on frantic. He couldn't see her – all he could see on any side was thick, black smoke. It was like a solid sphere, enveloping both fighters and a certain area surrounding them.

Trusting his instinct, he moved forward, waving at the stifling fog in vain. Somewhere in front of him, as though way off in the distance, he could hear Al calling as well: "Ed! Ed!" Neither Ed nor Kota were visible still, and as far as he could tell they were not being vocal, either. That made him nervous.

After pushing and coughing his way through to what he supposed must be the center of the ball, where hopefully his daughter still stood, his hand finally met with something that felt like the fabric of someone's shirt. This he latched to, hoping – praying – that it was Kota's. It didn't occur to him in that moment that Kota's shoulder would have been significantly lower than whatever he was holding onto now. The smoke was unkind to one's clarity of mind as well as sense of direction. His thoughts were altogether fuzzy from lack of real oxygen. …Who knew what this stuff was actually made of. It could have been some deadly poison gas for all they knew.

In a moment, there was the sound of another clap. A huge gust of wind cleared the enormous cloud. Roy lifted his free arm to shield his own face from this near-tornado-force rush. He was even scooted back a couple of centimeters, though he kept determined hold on the unknown shirt. At last he lowered it, blinking in the suddenly clear air. Roy shifted his gaze to the person whose shoulder was gripping so tightly in his own hand, and his stomach dropped.

It wasn't Kohaku he held. It was Ed.

The Flame Alchemist released him, turning to take a sweeping look around for his little girl. Where _was _she, if not right there? "Kota…" She…wasn't there. She wasn't anywhere. She was gone. He couldn't see hide nor hair of the child anywhere around.

Al came up somewhat nervously, a very frightened Kernel trailing behind. The dog whined, his tail snugly fit between his legs out of terror and the empathetic animal sense that something was very wrong here. "Are you okay, Ed?" he asked his brother anxiously.

"Yeah, I'm fine," coughed Ed, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth. It was taking him several minutes to catch his breath after all that. "What the heck was that?"

"I don't know. It looked like a bomb, but there wasn't really an explosion. It just sent out a lot of gas or something."

Roy wasn't listening to them, until Al finally seemed to realize that they were missing something. "Hang on… Where's Kota?"

"She's gone," rasped the eldest man, his hands clenching into tight fists. "And I intend to find out where.

--

BUMBUMBUM.

Roy: -Facepalm- I knew I didn't like where this was going.

-Giggle- Poor Koko.

Roy: …How many nicknames do you plan to give this child?

Well, when you give her a name like Kohaku Takara Yuki Asuka Mustang, I think she deserves all the nicknames she can get…

Roy: You're the one who gave her the name, stupid.

Yeah, but that name generator site is the one that came up with it. So NYAH.

Roy: That still means I wasn't responsible. Ugh. I'm surrounding by imbeciles.

Yup! …Heeeeey!!


	6. Take Your Turn

And here comes the new chapter

And here comes the new chapter. Wahoo.

Roy: -Snore-

What the—ROY! -.-

Roy: Wh-?! –Falls off chair-

What. The heck. You fell asleep? That's a new one.

Roy: Every time you drag me out here, it's at night. Why don't you try writing this stupidity during the day?

Because I'm doing other stuff during the day. It's my thing to write at night. Deal with it. And…don't fall asleep. I'll have to have Ed come be your alarm clock.

--

How on earth could that have happened? He didn't understand it. He had been watching the area carefully – _no one _had been around, let alone above Kota and Ed. So how on this green earth had such a grenade been dropped between them? And even more importantly, how and _where _had Kota been taken?

A force to be reckoned with, the glowering form of Roy Mustang marched through Central HQ with Riza at his side and the Elric brothers following behind. Most people that didn't duck out of his way at sight of his expression lined the hall at attention, their hands raised in salutes to the former Fuhrer as they passed. Roy ignored them all. He even drew one young man out of his way only somewhat gently by the back of his collar when he didn't get out of his way in time.

The military's current leader, who went by the name Jin Katsunobu was a smart, fair man – so he was told. He had only met the guy once, two years prior when he was appointed to the position. He seemed decent enough. Now, though, it was time for the test.

"Sir Mustang." Katsunobu got to his feet as the party was shown in. Roy barely gave him time to finish this greeting before he waved his hand dismissively.

"Roy. And I don't have time to chat, Fuhrer."

"I see. Then, Roy, what can I do for you and your friends?" Katsunobu nodded at Riza and the boys. He gestured for the group to sit down, lowering back into his own chair. His fingers woven together atop his desk, he looked up attentively.

Riza, Ed, and Al had all taken seats around the office, but Roy remained standing, leaning with his palms flat on the desktop and his one visible eye narrowed. "There is a criminal, or a group of such, out there right now with my daughter in hand. Kohaku was kidnapped in broad daylight this afternoon, snatched right out of the park. Whoever it is, he's either an alchemist himself, or he works with someone who is. I saw it in action."

"That bomb could have been made by anyone, Mustang," Ed pointed out. "It wasn't necessarily Alchemy."

"That's not what I'm talking about, Edward." Roy glanced over his shoulder, letting the Elrics in on the incident with the tree limb. He'd not told them yet.

Ed's expression hardened. "Dirty trick. She's a helpless girl." Riza cocked an eyebrow at him. "…Alright. But her back was turned. If Roy hadn't been there, she'd be a pancake by now."

"And if I hadn't been so stupid, she would still be _here _right now," Roy added, balling his hands into fists. He looked back at Katsunobu, who was frowning with displeasure. The latter rose to his feet once more.

"We'll look into this. Abduction is a serious crime. Do you have any inkling of the motive behind this?"

Roy paused. "The only thing we can figure," he replied in a gravelly voice, "is that the party in question is trying to get to those surrounding Kohaku. Namely, Riza and myself. Of course, this did start after Edward and Alphonse arrived. They may be somehow tangled in it as well, now that I think about it."

"That's a nice thought." The others ignored this remark from Ed, however, going on with their conversation.

"Roy. Riza. I think it best you lie low for a while," the Fuhrer suggested slowly and carefully. "I would like to assign an undercover guard to the two of you, if you have no objections. We can observe those around you, and everything that happens to you for the next few days."

Roy's very expression was said objection. "We're not helpless bystanders, Katsunobu. Our daughter has just been kidnapped, and you expect us to cower behind the military while trying to resume our normal lives? Are you insane? We came here to ask for help, not protection!" He brought his fist down on the desk. Riza stood, her own face stoney.

"With all due respect, sir," she began, "Roy is right. We can't stand around idly when we don't even know where Kohaku has been taken, or what her fate is. We don't even know if she's—" But the blond cut herself off sharply, looking away.

Roy, dark eye glinting as it met the other man's gaze, finished it for her, just to make his point. He understood why Riza had chosen not to say it; it was a horrible prospect. And it was _true_. "Alive," he rasped. Leaning forward into Katsunobu's face, he lowered his voice. "We will not stand behind you with our tails between our legs."

The Fuhrer remained admirably calm. "Yes, I know. But I fear you misunderstand me. You see, what I was suggesting was not that you merely forget your daughter – Kohaku, is it? – and fall back into your lives while we investigate exclusively. If she was abducted to get to any of the four of you, she will not be killed. More than likely, you will be given a clue of some sort as to what they want from you. Otherwise, how can they get it?"

Roy relaxed a little bit, blinking in silence for a second. "And so if we wait for them to make their move, we may do Kota a favor, rather than openly making a public spectacle of them. And if they know the entire military is in on it, it's bound to make them nervous. If they have an itchy trigger finger, I'd rather keep the gun pointed solely at me, not her." Interesting choice of words, yes. But at least he wasn't on the verge of punching the top-dog of the entire military silly anymore.

"Yes, exactly." Katsunobu dipped his head. "For both the safety of all of you, and the safety of the young lady in question, I believe it wise you keep it under a blanket. Roy, don't talk to anyone in the military unless they're out of uniform – which those I will assign you will be. Riza won't be able to help it, as she's still within our ranks. But we'll be careful not to have anyone suspicious hanging around your home. We want these people to think you're determined to take them on alone."

"Right." The Flame Alchemist straightened. "…Thank you."

"Happy to help." He flashed a tight, grim smile, showing them to door. "The guard will report to you discreetly, letting you know who they are. We'll catch these criminals, and find out what they want." Katsunobu watched Roy leave, then Ed, then Al. He caught Riza by the arm, adding the warning, "Don't let him do anything stupid, Riza. His reputation for being dramatic precedes him."

"Yes. I know," she mused. With that, she followed the others.

--

Hehe. Drama-king Roy!

Roy: Pfft.

Hey! You stayed awake! I'm so proud. n.n

Roy: Touch me, and you lose those arms.

O.o Oookay then. Anyhow. Now they have the military backing them, but they have to sit still and wait for their opponents to make their move. Will Roy go stir crazy? Or…will he fall asleep again? -Poke-

Roy: I warned you. -Puts on glove-

Eeep!


	7. Hostage

-Blows away months of dust-

Roy: -Coughcoughgag- Watch it!

Sorry, Royboy… This fic was filthy. D: It's all...neglected and stuff.

Roy: Some of us weren't exactly mourning it. -.-

Pfft. You know you missed me.

Roy: Not particularly.

Admit it.

Roy: No.

You looooove meeee. n.n

Roy: No.

…You'll admit it by the end of the chapter. Teehee.

--

"Be careful, idiot. Remember, we still need her. Quit treating her like a sack of grain – at least until Mustang's ours."

These were the first words she heard after being dumped unceremoniously on a hard wooden floor. Kota tried to roll over onto her back, but her body wouldn't respond. What was that about? No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get anything but her eyes to move. It scared her.

It was dim, lit presumably by a candle somewhere in the room. There must have been a window, too, for a pool of moonlight fell right on her. The only things she could see in this position, though, were the dirty, would-be black shoes of three men, and, after a moment, the gaudy high-heels of an approaching woman.

"That won't take long. He's already gone to Jin with it," the feminine voice purred. "Mister Roy is on edge, and I'd bet he'll do just about _anything _to get his baby girl back." The woman crouched next to the paralyzed child, showing the hem of her knee-length skirt. "Such a cutie."

If she could have, Kota would've bitten the hand that pet her cheek. As it was, she just narrowed her eyes and glared at all the shoes. She did try to force her mouth to form some kind of speech – mostly it came out in a series of grunts very vaguely resembling, "Who are you?"

"Ah, poor child. The drug still hasn't worn off. She can't even move." With a sigh, the lady stood again and turned to the others. "He is going to be by later to check on her. If there is so much as a scratch on Miss Mustang, you know it will be your heads. We can't risk anything until her father is securely under our control. Lose the hostage, and we lose the negotiation."

"Of course," one man replied. And with that, she exited the room, along with what sounded like the other three.

Kota blinked. _Daddy? Oh, no you don't. _She closed her eyes, taking a deep, cleansing breath through her nose. There was a solution to every problem. She just had to find it.

She looked toward her hands, bound together by two ropes, and then her feet, which were in a similar position. Her gloves, though – the fingerless, black gloves with circles stitched into the palms – had been left untouched. Her eyes portrayed the smirk that her lips could not. _Idiots_. Either they hadn't recognized them as signs of alchemy, or they had written her off as unthreatening. Whichever it was, they were in for a real surprise.

Alright. So she still had alchemy. Now, she just had to find a way to use it to her advantage. …Well, that is, after she had regained her mobility. She snorted irritably and went back to trying in vain to move. All of her muscles just felt so heavy… Drug, huh? It felt more like a big, fat guy had fallen on her.

Kota wasn't sure how much time had passed when she heard someone enter her dark, little room. As once, she ceased her attempts and held her breath. They weren't the same footsteps as before; they were lighter than the two men's were, and there was no telltale clunk of stilettos. It was a soft scrape. Just how many visitors was she going to have, here?

At last, whoever it was came into her line of sight. At least, their feet did. She narrowed her eyes slightly, taking in the white calf boots, and the loose skirt with the slit up its side. If it wasn't a woman, it was a very weird man.

"Are you sleeping, little one?" a hushed, youthful voice inquired. It seemed to confirm Kota's assumptions about gender. The stranger crouched carefully beside her, giving her a look at most of her body. Under the skirt, which was tied at one hip with a slit all the way down, she had white cloth shorts. Her shirt was fitted to her unmistakably feminine figure. It was all white, as far as Kota could tell in the dim candlelight. The hair, though, as much as she could see, was blond. It fell long and straight over her shoulders, seemingly without a blemish.

The young alchemist closed her eyes at once when the woman got closer, playing along at being asleep. For the second time, she felt her face touched by unknown hands as the woman brushed some hair off her forehead. This touch was different, though; it was more maternal. Gentle. Sincere. But it still made her skin crawl, somehow. Something was off.

"Look at you… You're so dirty," the young woman cooed, rubbing Kota's cheek gently with her thumb as though to rid a smudge of dirt. "Don't worry, little one. We'll get you cleaned up."

When things went too far, though, Miss Mustang threw her charade to the wind. The mysterious woman started toying with her hair, combing out the parts she could get to, as far as Kota could tell. She had had enough. "D-n't t-ch m'," she grunted. She was scared, as any ten-year-old should be. But she was also a Mustang.

The stranger paused, evidently startled. She pulled away a bit. "You are awake!" she exclaimed. "I am glad." And indeed, her voice did hold a note of relief which, ironically, only put Kota further on edge.

Kota wrinkled her nose a bit, glad to find that she was regaining movement. After flexing her jaw for a moment, she was successful in a more coherent form of speech. "Who are you?"

"Hmm? Oh, how silly of me. My name is Ren."

Stiffly, Kohaku managed to turn her head enough to squint up at the woman's face. Even in the lack of light, several features were distinguishable right away. The smile she wore was as sincere as her voice, and yet it was still just as creepy. Her eyes were blue and…well, the best way Kota could think of to describe them was just "odd." Just like her hair, though, her face was smooth, pretty, and flawless. She looked young, too – eighteen at best. That raised a few new questions.

"Are you feeling better?" asked Ren, watching anxiously as the child renewed her struggles to sit up. "Brother says you need to rest for a while…"

"Brother?"

Ren nodded, but she did not elaborate on who her brother might be. "He says you are sick and in danger, and we have to keep you safe. I'm supposed to look after you. Are you hungry? Can I get you something?" She seemed completely in earnest, but after being kidnapped, drugged, and locked in a room with some crazy woman intent on being her older sister, Kota wasn't interested.

"No," she replied at once. "Let me go. Take me home. I want to go home."

The other girl tilted her head slightly, her face the picture of sympathy. "Ohh, little one. I know. We're making sure that your father comes for you. You'll go home soon, I promise." She reached out to touch Kota's cheek again, but the latter shied away as best she could as she processed those words.

Making sure her father came for her? That didn't make her feel better. It made her feel like a hostage. …She _was _a hostage… Kota stared warily at her unlikely captor. _…Please don't do anything stupid, Daddy…_

--

He can't help it, Koko. It's habit by now.

Roy: Are you TRYING to make me angry?

Are you angry?

Roy: Boiling.

Then sure! n.n …Anyway. Silly Roy. Sorry, reader-peeps! I didn't mean to abandon you. Or Roy and his homies. I just got a little…unmotivated. But! I'm watching Brotherhood now, and I'm back in my FMA-love phase. So _hopefully_, that means I'll go back to updating this. -Cough- So… Read and review, won't you?


End file.
